The state of Odisha, neighbouring West Bengal, is the abode of Lord Jagannatha, one of Lord Vishnu’s many forms, and has been sheltering and nurturing an ancient form of art for centuries in the quiet of humility and inconspicuousness. “Anga”, “Banga” and “Kalinga” come together as cultural boundaries of Bengal and its traditions. Within these boundaries lies the enigmatic essence of the divine – the Jagannatha Culture. A reckoning force that seeks to promote harmony while reconciling with itself the turbulent nature of life, this ancient communion of Man and God is essentially an intangible feeling of joy and has led to the creation of magnificent chariots, masterfully crafted temples, soulful music, vibrant dances and colorful artworks across the state of Odisha. In this plethora of creative ingenuity, a branch of ancient art called stands out in its apparent inconspicuousness. Originating in the village of Raghurajpur in Odisha, this rarity of Indian antiquity portrays, with vivid colors and deft strokes, the glory and splendour of Jagannatha Culture through the illustration of various tales and folklores. This ancient form of traditional painting articulates the significance of “Odisha Patachitra” and represents the unfathomable beauty of Jagannath temple tradition. The unique significance of Odisha Patachitra is its relation to divinity. Like in many other provinces, native custom dictates the utilization of natural resources and indigenous methods to bring to life the art of Patachitra. In addition, it exudes a different history, myth, and style, especially when compared with Bengal Pata and other Pata art. India has many festivals throughout the year and Rathayatra holds a special place amongst them. Jagannath Dev’s Rathayatra, in Puri, is an auspicious event. 15 days before the Rathayatra, there is another ritualistic event in the Jagannath Temple called Snana Yatra, or the auspicious bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannath. As an ancient custom and by instructions from Lord Jagannath, no one is allowed to see the original idol inside the sanctum sanctorum or garbhagriha for 15 days. According to Odisha history and old scriptures, this marked the beginning of Patachitra art as the 3 idols of Lord Jagannath, Balarama and Subhadra were replaced by Patachitra paintings and worshipped for that period.

According to the Madla Panji and the practices of the temple, whenever Naba Kalevara takes place or a new idol is made, Patachitra artisans are involved exclusively in a particular task. As soon as the work of the wooden idol is layered with filaments, the next step requires delicate covers known as the Sri Kapar or Holy Cloth. The Sri Kapar or Holy cloth, which is given by the temple authority to Chitrakars, is fixed to the wooden body of the idol with a very specially prepared gum. Camphor, resin, and guggul are mixed and prepared by fire, which is known as Radhna (Cooking). This technique produces a very aromatic cover. Next, it is polished with soft claystone called Khadi lagi. Chitrakars draw beautiful designs on this aromatic cloth. Fascinatingly, this method is used to make Odisha Patachitra even today. One of the most important and celestial mystical rituals is connected with the Anasara Pati, which is worshipped during the absence of the wooden deity in the sanctum sanctorum. To the painter, this process of making Anasara Pata is very auspicious. However, this whole system of Patachitra art is a distinct continuation of our rich cultural heritage. Patachitra is colloquially termed Pati in the village. Alongside the Anasara Pata, the main theme of this classic art centers on religious
conduct. The dalliance of Krishna described in Bhagavad is one of the most popular themes. The subject can be classified into the various category – 1) Vaishnava patachitra, 2) Shakta patachitra, 3) Shaiva patachitra and 4) Legendary stories of Odiya chronicles and a few different subjects like Raga Chitra, Yatri Pati, Tapoi Pati/Pata, Yama Pati, Naba Gunjara and so on.

FEW WORDS ABOUT PATA- ANCIENT LINK

This is the uniqueness of this art. The principal word Pata or Patta is derived from Sanskrit, which means cloth or a piece of linen. The word Pata can be found in the Ashtodwoyi of Panini, written in the third Century, Mahabhasya of Patanjali, Abhijnan Shakuntalam of Kabi Kalidas, Harsha Charita of Banabhatta, Uttar Ramcharit of Bhavabhuti, Vishnu Dharmottar Purana and many other books. Epical mentions of Odisha Patachitra are also found in Madla Panji, which is considered to be the most valuable scripture of Odisha culture. This wonderful art is not only related to Lord Jagannath but also has extensive manifestation with various names covering a wide range of Puranas and ancient stories from the unique teaching of Ramayana and Mahabharata. According to the exploits of Shankaracharya, who visited Puri in the seventh century, there are mentions of a few temples painted on cloth. There is another mention in Murari Mishra’s Anarghya Raghava drama.

This ancient art form is still alive. Raghurajpur village is situated 11 km away from the main Puri city. The entire village is an artist parish. It is a part of a larger village named Jankadeipur. Through the ages, generations of artists have been raised in an ambiance of the familiar tradition of art and the continuity of art has been kept alive through them. Very interestingly, the Jagannath Temple of Puri doesn’t have any prejudice about the caste system and that’s why so many different types of work are done by various communities of the Odisha people. Each community has a different responsibility for this temple from the time of its ancestors – a parampara or hereditary service to Lord Jagannath. These Patachitra artisans are also known as Chitrakara. They are from the Sudra family, which is also a parampara. There are many rituals and classifications related to this celestial traditional art.

VARIOUS PATACHITRA

Variation of Pata depends on the story. Numerous rituals and ceremonial Chitra Patas form a fabulous part of this ancient art history. To name a few, one may consider Jhulan Pati, Sri Krishna Janam Pati, Shashrakumva Pati, Kandarpa Adhibasa, Chandan Yatra, Rukmini Vivaha, Durga Madhab, Bamana Janam Pata and many more. Amongst them, Anasara Pati is one of the most consecrated Patachitras. During the fifteen days, after Snan Yatra and before Ratha Yatra, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balarama, and Subhadra along with the Sudarshan Chakra are kept away from the public glare. If there is no deity inside the garbhagriha, then the temple remains close (unlike other living temples). Lord Jagannath is the only deity who comes out of his sanctum sanctorum every year to give Darshana to all. In his absence, the special Patachitra is worshipped there. Three separate Patachitra of each deity along with Sudarshan Pati is adulated every day followed by every detailed ritual in a systematic six-time worshiping. One can visualize the importance of this Anasara Pata in the Jagannath Culture of Odisha. There are many myths and stories about Jagannath temple and King Indradumnya, who was the founder of Jagannath Temple and was instructed by the Lord Himself to make the idol of the Holy Trinity as well to deal with everything related to this temple’s rules and practices. As per the most primitive anecdotes, following the foundation of the temple, King Indradumnya enquired Lord Brahma about his adorable deities deifying arrangement. A secret rule was passed down by Brahma to the king that the principal deities would not appear before the commoners for 15 consequence days after Snana Yatra. The devout king felt abundant pain for this inaccessibility of the Lord’s vision. He prayed to Brahma for some alternative way of seeing the deity, and that alternative way was the beginning of Patachitra Art as well as Anasara Pata. A distinguished Sanskrit scholar of the 18th century, Niladri Mahoday, beautifully narrated the story in his book. Brahma instructed the king that for these fifteen days, the wooden idol or the auspicious Daru Brahma Jagannatha would be covered with a bamboo frame and the top of that bamboo frame will be covered by a fine piece of painted cloth. That is now famous as the Anasara Pata. According to the Madla Panji, during the bathing festival, the deities of the temple have a bath with 108 pots of cold water to fight the heat of summer. After this royal bath ceremony, the Holy Trio is rendered sick with fever, and they stay away from the public view for fifteen days. This period is known as the ‘Anasara’ period, it commences from Jyeshta Purnima to Aashaadha Amavasya. During the Anasara period, the main door of the temple is also closed.

Besides the three main pata paintings, another small Anasara Pati is also prepared for Patitapabana and placed in front of the closed door for public view. Preparation of Anasara Pati begins on Akshaya Tritiya tithi. On this day, the temple Chitrakars receive pieces of cloth from the administration to use as Patas. A group of ten to fifteen artists, under the guidance of the chief artist, works on the paintings and paints the images of Shri Ananta Narayan, Shri Ananta Vasudev, and Goddess Bhubaneswari. The three paintings represent the three deities. Shri Ananta Narayan represents Lord Jagannath, Shri Ananta Vasudev is Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Bhubaneswari represents Goddess Subhadra. Each Pata painting is made on a cloth of 5.5 feet in length and 4 feet in width. It takes fifteen days to finish the Anasara Pati. After completion, priests from the Jagannath temple come to the chief artist’s house with a garland (Aagyan mala). As per the tradition, a special puja is performed at his house and after the puja, the Anasara Pati is rolled and tied with a piece of cloth and then carried to the Jagannath Temple by the Chitrakars and temple priests in a ceremonial procession accompanied by the hymn, bhajan, kirtan, mridangam, ghanta, etc. A Tati (temporary partition wall made of Bamboo) is constructed in front of the original deities and on this Pati, the three Pata Paintings are placed as the representatives of the three deities. The three Pata Paintings represent the traditional form of Narayan and Vasudev along with their usual attributes. Narayan is carrying Sankha, Chakra, Gada, and Padma in his four arms. Vasudev is holding Sankha, Gada, Hala, and Musala. Bhubaneswari holds two lotuses.

Present-day Chitrakar Debdutta Maharana, who lives very close to the Puri Jagannath temple area, is the main person along with Sridhar Maharana, another eminent Chitrakar, under whose observation young Chitrakars are preparing this auspicious Pati. This Anasara pata is made with prodigious sincerity and in pursuance of all the rituals. Artists follow a very pious life during that time and maintain few austerities. The principal Chitrakar is allotted a particular whitewashed room. A few ingredients of food like onion, garlic, and non-vegetarian food items are also prohibited for consumption. Every day, after taking a bath and wearing clean clothes, one can start the painting. No cohabitation is permissible during that period of making Anasara Pati. Chitrakars lie on the barren floor and pray for the blessings of the Almighty for successfully painting the Holy Trio. This Patachitra is the symbol of God, in one form. After finishing the Anasara Pata, the family priest of the Chitrakar performs a special puja. This puja usually takes place on the auspicious night of Snana Purnima. When the auspicious Patachitra is received by higher priests of the temple, only then can the Chitrakar enter the garb griha. These Patas are kept on bamboo frames and are tied by the sacred thread or Upavita of Brahmins. After that, the Anasara Patachitra is made, and then it is followed by a symbolic Mahasnana or ‘great bath’ which is performed by the priest accompanied by the chanting of certain special hymns. The deities are now established in terms of both the alternative rituals and systems and from that time onwards, for fifteen days, they will appear as the main deities before all devotees and all the celestial rituals, puja, prayers, and wishes will be made in front of them. Therefore, Anasara Pata indicates the antiquity of Odisha Patachitra and can be regarded as a unique feature in the history of Bharatiya Art and Heritage.

The artisans of Raghurajpur are categorized according to the different roles they must advocate in society. Not each Chitrakar is eligible to draw the Anasara Pati, it has to be decided by the temple authority and the royal court. Only the most competent artist, amongst those who belong to the 18 Gada/ghara Chitrakar family, is chosen for Jagannath Pata, while the Patait Paban Pati and the Balavdra Pati can be made only by the fourteen-ghara Chitrakar family and the Subhadra Pati can only be made by 6 ghara Chitrakar family. This is a general division of that artist in Odisha culture. People who are preparing JAGANNATH pata, are known as 18 ghara Chitrakar. Those 18 artisan family selected as the painter of Jagannatha Pata. In the same way, 14 ghara artisans are selected for making Balarama Pata, & 6 ghara artisans are selected for making Subhadra Pati. This is a very old custom in Raghurajpur. Artisans are not sure from which time that division was started. According to senior artists and scholars maybe this was started from the beginning of Patachitra Art of Odisha.

There are many other Patas that are related to the numerous stories from the history of the magnificent Odisha Patachitra. The popular thematic Patachitra is based on the Vaishnav topic, which is commonly known as the Rasa Chitra Pata and Kandarpa Pata. It gained popularity in the 18th century. The Rasa Patachitra has different names and styles:

1. Naranari Kunjar Rasa,
2. Anasar Rasa, and
3. Bana Rasa.

Odisha patachitra’s charmingly ornate nature is defined by fine line works and soothing colors. Kandarpa Pata and Rasa Pata are the finest examples of this art.

Another famous Pata was Jatri Pata it was a memorial of pilgrimage and by nature, it can be compared to the Bengal Pata. The Jatri Pata is not very famous these days, but up until the nineteenth century it was in high demand amongst devotees. The Jagannath Temple has always been a great attraction and pilgrimage since its inception. Before the invention of photography, people who came to visit this temple wished to carry some memories from this place. Consequently, to fulfill the wishes of the regular visitors, the Chitrakar community started selling Patachitras in an area adjacent to the temple complex. They produced large numbers of Jatri Pata in a short period. It wasn’t characterized by fine line work, but it was so enigmatic that people loved to collect it as souvenirs and gifts. Before the invention of paper small Patas were prepared on cloth. However, the Jatri Pati always centers on the three main deities. From Bhubaneswar state museum and eminent senior artists, I came to know that there are various Jatri Pati or Jatri Pata around the temple, and it is also available on great Rathayatra Utsav. Interestingly, this Rathayatra Pati is made in such a variety of sizes and matters that it should be a subject of interest for academicians. I have explained all of this in a detailed manner in my book Odisha Patachitra and Jagannath Culture Between all variants of Jatri Pati, the Thia Badia is the most delicate piece of work and also the most important one. With the presence of three idols, the entire background of the temple and the circumference were drawn uniquely.

The main raw material of Odisha Pata is cotton cloth. Besides that, all the colors are made organically. White is derived from a conch shell, black is used from kajal, while Blue, Yellow, and Red are derived from soft stones that are collected from the Koraput area. The glue of tamarind is made from tamarind seeds. Very fine handmade brushes are used to paint the picture which is primarily drawn by pencil nowadays. Chitrakars use old shells of coconut as their pot of color. Now and then, Pata is also made on Tasar silk.

This art is based on the eternal nature of creative excellence. So many characteristics, methods, and leitmotifs are related to this art. Characteristics of folk art mingle with classical art to represent a unique tradition of Odisha Heritage. This Patachitra is comparable to the ornament, tapestry of lines, colors, myth, history, and rituals of Lord Jagannath. It is strongly associated with sculptures, dance, and an ancient way of life.
Jai Jagannath!

About The Author

Anita Bose is an Author, Artist, Researcher,  Associate with Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture,Vivekananda Kendra, Guest lecturer of RMIC, Course coordinator of Appreciation of South East Asian Culture and heritage through Ramayana. Former Guide of National Museum volunteer, Bangkok. Associate with Siam Society under Royal Patronage  Author of Three important books on Jagannath Patachitra, Ramayana Footprints in South East Asian culture and heritage, Saptapadi. Editor of Global Encyclopaedia of Ramayana, Curtain raiser volume & Bangabhumite Ramayana charcha. More than 50 article published in abroad and India. She is also related with various social work in India and abroad.